Number of Participants: 38
Hours Donated: 100
Value of Time Served: $32,110
Event Type: Civic & Community
Sport: Schools
School: Cornwall Central High School
Date: May 20, 2024
Location:
Cornwall Central High School
Dragon Drive, New Windsor
Cornwall
About:
The Student Athlete Leadership Council at Cornwall High School is a remarkable group composed of one junior and one senior representative from each of our varsity teams. Meeting once a month, these student leaders discuss different components of leadership, honing their skills for real-life applications. Their flagship project, “Dragon Day,” is a community-wide event that showcases their abilities and brings our community together.
Dragon Day is a completely student-driven program, with the council members taking on all aspects of the event. This year, the group established four primary teams: 5K/Fun Runs, Communications, Vendors, and Fundraising/Activities. Through their efforts, they quickly learned the importance of communication and the necessity of putting in extra work behind the scenes to make their vision a reality.
The students handle everything from securing permits from the school, police, and town for the event and 5K run, to promoting Dragon Day across our five schools, at Board of Education meetings, on social media, and throughout the town. They collaborate with PTOs, teams, clubs, and town organizations to plan various activities for the event. They also develop marketing plans to attract donations and sponsors, create schedules and maps for the day, and oversee setup, support, and breakdown of the event.
Remarkably, the program and event start with a budget of zero, as the school provides no funding. Despite this, the students managed to raise just under $2,000 to support our senior athlete scholarship fund. The value of the experience they gain is priceless, and what they accomplish is nothing short of incredible. Dragon Day has become a tremendous community draw, bringing everyone together to enjoy a few hours of fun activities and visits with various vendors.
The club also hosts various community events throughout the year, including elementary read-alouds, workshops on good sportsmanship for middle school students, and sessions to help them transition to high school.
“Truly a testament to the incredible kids that we have and the leaders they are developing into. I couldn’t be more proud of them. ” Jason Semo Director of Physical Education, Health, and Athletics
